Cohabitation

'So this is what it's like to have a girlfriend...' thought Vahn, unable to sleep, so he stayed awake, staring at Rias's sleeping face and holding her with his left hand as she used his body and shoulder as a hug pillow and pillow.

(*I'm not so sure other girls would be as forward.) appended Sis. (But, according to the data I obtained from the Faux Greater Key of Solomon, this appears to be the norm for descendants of House Gremory. They are famed for possessing affectionate and open natures.*)

'Okay...so it might not be normal, but it is for Rias and her family...' noted Vahn. If that were the case, he would probably need to get accustomed to nakedness and abrupt displays of affection. He could tell Rias wanted something from him when she posed and emphasized certain parts of her body, so he felt he needed to learn more about being a proper boyfriend, and quickly, to avoid disappointing her.

(Shall I pull up some texts or videos for you to peruse?) asked Sis. (I can also transmit the data directly into your long-term memories, but you previously expressed the desire to learn things directly.)

'We have a video playback function...?' asked Vahn, surprised, as it was his first time hearing about it.

(I was able to gain access to the internet by piggybacking the signals sent by your cellphone and the hotel's wireless network.) explained Sis. (As such, I can gain access to websites and pull up virtually any video, text, or music file encoded onto the World Wide Web.)

'That's incredible...' thought Vahn. Then, for the remainder of the evening, he perused various articles related to romance, being a proper boyfriend, and how to compliment a girl's body. He nearly gained access to what his contemporaries would refer to as forbidden knowledge, but he willfully avoided it, as many of the articles mentioned that girls didn't appreciate it when their boyfriends perused porn or related materials...

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Rousing at the sound of her double bell alarm clock, a smile developed across Rias's face when Vahn promptly silenced it for her. She was a bit of a slow riser, so the incessant ringing would ordinarily continue for several minutes or until Akeno came in to stop it, followed by the arduous process of coaxing her out of bed.

"You're so beautiful..." whispered Vahn, prompting Rias to open her eyes, finding him staring at her with a gentle expression and a faint smile as he used the fingers of his right hand to comb away some stray hairs dangling over her face.

Though slightly surprised by Vahn's actions, Rias's smile broadened as she playfully retorted, "I could say the same about you, and I shall. You look very handsome, Vahn."

"Thank you for the compliment," responded Vahn, causing Rias to blink in surprise, her brain rousing to full alertness as he traced his thumb along her lower lip and expressed, "I want to kiss you..."

"Then, please, feel free~" hummed Rias, narrowing her eyes and adjusting her position so that her lips were accessible to Vahn's. She was curious to see if he had retained anything from the previous evening, and she wasn't disappointed as, rather than simply pressing their lips together, he slipped his tongue into her mouth. He even gently caressed her side with the very tips of his fingers, providing her a faint but pleasant stimulation that made her nipples tense.

Separating after nearly a full minute, Rias, sporting narrowed eyes, licked the traces of her and Vahn's saliva from her lips before teasing, "You're an exceptionally swift study...at this rate, we may be able to skip most of the lessons and proceed straight to your exams..."

"Exams...you're talking about having sex, right?" asked Vahn, causing Rias to blink a second time, her brows raised and eyes briefly widening before she smiled, nodded her head, and replied, "That's right. We shouldn't rush things, but all serious relationships eventually advance to sex and having children. This is especially critical for Devilkind, as we have very low birth rates, and our numbers dwindled significantly during the previous war and subsequent civil war..."

"It's definitely too soon..." confirmed Vahn, nodding. Immediately after, however, he placed his hand on Rias's left breast, circling her nipple with his thumb and holding her gaze as he added, "But as we learn more about each other, I want to do everything that comes before..."

"Someone was up late thinking about all sorts of things..." teased Rias, but her smile, the narrowing of her eyes, and the way she traced the tip of her index finger in a circle on his chest made it clear she was pleased with Vahn's candor.

Catching Rias off guard and leaving her feeling taken aback, albeit in the most favorable sense of the expression, Vahn responded with a distinctly smoldering expression, his voice notably deeper as he asked, "How could I stand to sleep when the reality before me is far more wondrous than any dream...?"

"Wow, Vahn...I didn't realize you were such a poet..." expressed Rias, her blue eyes glistening with appreciation and gratification.

"I never had a reason to be before now..." responded Vahn, returning his hand to Rias's side and caressing it as he narrowed his eyes and gradually brought his face closer to hers, whispering, "You are my muse...the words to the unwritten song in my heart..." before giving her an especially tender kiss that caused her heart to genuinely flutter...

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"Ara? Am I perhaps interrupting something~?" teased Akeno, her sleepy eyes filled with humor as she entered Rias's room to the curious sight of her Mistress being cradled in Vahn's arms with an entranced smile as he brushed his fingers through her hair.

"Oh, Akeno!" responded Rias, regaining her senses and smiling broadly as she playfully contended, "It turns out that one of Vahn's many talents is a silver tongue. My heart is racing right now."

"I look forward to hearing what he'll say to me~" Akeno tittered, covering her mouth to suppress an amused giggle as Rias adopted a slightly pouty look.

"I'm sorry, Akeno-san...but Rias is the one I like. I would never betray her trust..." said Vahn, surprising both girls.

Recovering quicker than her Mistress, Akeno beamed, cupped her right cheek, and expressed, "My, my, you truly do possess the disposition of a Knight, Vahn-kun. And look at how red you're making my Mistress's face. How adorable~"

"Ahem! That's quite enough, Akeno," said Rias, doing her best to appear poised, but due to the blush spreading across her face, reaching to her ears, both Vahn and Akeno found her increasingly adorable.

Forcing herself to calm down, Rias looked at Vahn with slightly upturned eyes, surprising him by stating, "As much as I appreciate your desire to remain loyal, the...extenuating circumstances of Demonkind mean we are in constant search of powerful individuals to contribute their genes to the cause of replenishing our strength and numbers. Akeno is my Queen and someone who had pledged to serve me her entire life. As long as the two of you aren't sneaking around behind my back, you have my permission to pursue a relationship with her and any others aligned with our faction and House Gremory."

"That doesn't sound right..." muttered Vahn, adopting a conflicted pout as all the materials he had perused the previous night stressed that the most critical components of a relationship were passion, trust, and monogamy. He could comprehend what Rias was saying, but he couldn't imagine her feeling truly happy inside if she had to watch him kiss and be affectionate with other girls.

"Then, how about this..." muttered Rias, guiding Vahn's face to rest in her bosom as she stared down at him, her expression and tone gentle as she said, "I will not force the matter, but if you were at least willing to accept those in my Peerage, it would provide me considerable relief. Because I do not wish to see my friends and the people I care about taken away by men outside my view and influence..."

Though he still had misgivings, Vahn's response, after several seconds of deliberation, was a reluctant but affirming nod. He could understand Rias not wanting her friends to leave her, so while it presently didn't feel right, he resolved to learn about dating multiple women and how to ensure they each remained happy. It was a daunting prospect, but since Rias was the one proposing it...he was willing to try his best...

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"Oh, wow...I had anticipated it, but you're exceptionally well-endowed, Vahn..." remarked Rias, her eyes wide and brows slightly raised as she saw Vahn remove his boxers in preparation for their shower.

"That's a good thing, right?" asked Vahn, unconcerned with being seen naked as Rias showed no scruples about being seen herself.

"I assume it's better than being too small," responded Rias, spreading her hands and shrugging as she revealed, "But I can't speak with certainty as I'm still a virgin."

"Do you not want to be one...?" asked Vahn, tilting his head.

Understanding that Vahn was just being curious, not proposing they have sex, Rias crossed her arms and confided, "Truth be told, I am in a bit of a hurry. However, you shouldn't allow yourself to feel pressured by that. As long as you continue to grow and demonstrate your tremendous potential, things should work out."

"The water is prepared, you two," chimed in Akeno, unabashedly stealing a glance at the weapon of maidenly destruction dangling between Vahn's legs. It was between fifteen and twenty centimeters even in its inactive state, so unless he were a shower and not a grower, it would presumably reach the mid-twenties when stimulated.

Curious what Rias meant, Vahn, following after and entering the shower with her, asked, "Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"It's nothing I can't handle," assured Rias, squeezing a dab of fragrant liquid green soap into her hands before turning to face Vahn with a smile, surprising him immensely by grabbing his not-so-little Vahn and giving it a thorough lathering as she added, "You are already assisting us greatly by allowing us access to the Corridor of Intertwined Fates and the items you produce. Leave the rest to me and the members of my Peerage."

Though Rias's words entered his ears, Vahn didn't hear them as he was focused on what was happening to his lower half. He couldn't see what was happening directly due to her breasts obscuring his view, but it felt amazing...

Amused by Vahn's wide-eyed reaction, Rias felt emboldened, compelling her to take things a step further by drawing closer to him, her voluminous breasts deforming against the firm contours of his chest and her hands guiding him to the promised land as she narrowed her eyes and remarked, "You should wash me as well..." in a husky, seductive tone.

Blinking back to awareness at Rias's words, an awkward, embarrassed smile developed across Vahn's face as he cupped the back of his head with his right hand, offering a curt "Sorry..." before wrapping his right arm around her and body reaching for one of the sixteen bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and bathing oils on display. He was confused as to why there were so many, but he soon learned, Sis explaining that they were used in a specific sequence across multiple days to ensure the richness, volume, and exceptional luster of Rias's almost luminous crimson hair. Her beauty may be au naturale, and she maintained it with a strict regimen of dieting, exercise, skincare, and hair care, typically facilitated by Akeno but now entrusted to him as part of his prospective spousal duties and groom training...

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